Kane

Please let us know what they say! I’m down for a few tins!What an interesting place. I bet those sardines are darn good.

You nailed it, docc! What a gorgeous bike. I wonder if those tins are available in the states? Olive Oil delivering sardines with a Guzzi! How friggin’ cool!

Well, I'm intruiged by all of the love that this bike gets on-line (I do know that there's a lot of KoolAid out there, and I try not to drink too much), and the 1100 DS engine in the one I rode was pretty good, and that version of the bike is relatively low tech, which I like. Completely different from anything I've ridden before. And I am not a hooligan! I'm an old man! The last time I popped a wheelie was on my Schwinn Stingray when I was kid. I rode the Hyper 1100 a second time, after knowing what to expect, and it was better, but still weird. Sort of like flying, rather than being in the bike. If I had a bike like that I would use it for commuting and riding around California, day trips to the mountains and the coast. Right now my V11 is off-line at a friend's shop and we are going through and sorting the bike, but it may be a few weeks still until she's back on the road, hence me looking around at bikes to ride. I have been riding Bobby D's old 850-T3 to work everyday, but with over 180k miles on the clock I don't want to push my luck. But then again, she always starts and runs pretty good for an old-timer: You can't keep a good Guzzi down!

Hi Billy, please post what you find out! I too am putting in new spings and am wondering the same thing. I'm not doing the valving at this point, just new springs, light oil, and an Ohlins shock off of a Scura. Those three changes should be a decent improvement. 190lb. solo rider here. Cheers

Wow, your engine so so clean, docc! Very nice.

Guzzimax, what big lovely family you have! So who’s your favorite? Cheers!

I had a chance today to ride a 2009 Ducati Hypermotard 1100. The engine was great, very torquey! The bike was pretty fun to ride and handled really well, but the seating position made me feel like I was perched over the front wheel, like I was a masthead on a ship! It wasn’t bad or uncomfortable, but it was just weird compared to what I am used to. Maybe this becomes fine over time, but it’s different. How do people like this? Is it good once you get used to it?

Very cool. What is it that draws French women to motorcycles and the freedom of the road with the spirit of adventure?

The lady has style and is lovely, then and now. I wish I knew some people like her. Sometimes I feel that I am trapped in a small petty society of wage slaves who worry too much about themselves and others, and their friggin’ relationships with others, known and unknown! She’s the type of heroic human with the spirit that I look up to. So grand! Man, I need to get the you-know-what out of here and hit the road!

The gearbox is great. I was told that Guzzi had a formula race car designer come up with the design…..anyone know about this? Apply the slightest pre-load pressure to the shifter and your shifts will be clean and easy. This is an analog real motorcycle, and 20 years old. Very charming machine. The vibes are great, nice low frequency stuff, not like the buzzy crap that makes your hands go numb on other bikes. The shaft torque is a comforting sensation to tell you she’s got it. The only real problems that I have had have been grounding issues with the headlight, but nothing that has kept the bike off the road. My trip meter stopped working soon after I got the bike, but I can remember OD numbers and my low fuel light works so that’s ok. So long as you keep up with basic maintenance, keep the oil clean, remain connected with her, like a good pony owner should, Guzzis will just keep going. Heck, my other Guzzi is a ‘78 that just turned 180,000 miles, and that bike has been my daily rider for the past few weeks while my V11 is off-line getting some upgrades. The ‘78 runs every day, back-and-forth 38 miles each way to work. No problemo. That bike is a testament to the build of the Moto Guzzi, and certainly to the care and upkeep it received from its previous (and original) owner, Bobby D. One other thing that you may notice, on hot days after hard rides, when you come to a stop at idle, these engines will give an occasional hiccup. Apparently this is how they shrug off the heat. Kind of like how a fast horse will give a shiver when resting after a ride. If you are riding in cooler weather this may never occur.

The V11 is a very real roadster! You’re gonna love it! There is mass and a bit of bulk, but she loves to be ridden like you mean it, and she will pay you back with a visceral, steady and comfortable ride. Push it and it handles pretty good for how heavy it is. Mine is an ‘01 red frame, and I find the bike to be very stable. Don’t lug her! Guzzis like to be revved. My V11 Sport starts to smile and lighten up once past 4K, and opens up and seems very happy around 5K. There are a lot of great bikes that are lighter with more power, but the V11 engine is great, and the bike will really grow on you. I love mine more and more as time goes on. Congrats!

I’m sure you may have already seen this, but here is a pretty good testimonial to the RE Himalayan:

Mademoiselle Dautheville is not the only rider to put the old loop frame Guzzi to hard mile riding. No ECU, disc brakes, fuel mapping, EFI, etc. They did ok. Is this a case of making due with what was on hand at the time, or are we missing something in the modern motorcycle era? I know Mr. Adam’s is using a digital camera, but his bike and going forth are pretty old school.

His opening riff and the tone and feel that follows it always knocks me out! When ever I feel like crap, that riff and what follows pulls me up.